Loose-leaf ledger.



No. 675,485. Patentad lune 4, I90I.

F. KRSMEIERL LOOSE LEAF LEDGER.

(Application iled June 11, 1900.)

(N0 Model.)

gal 6' 7 ttor u UniTnn STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

FRED KORSMEIER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES II. MASON, OF SAME PLACE.

LOOSE-LEAF LEDGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,485, dated June 4, 1901. Application tiled June 1l, 1900. Serial No. 19,804. (No model.)

To @El whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRED KORSMEIER,aciti zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Ledgers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a t'ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skillediu the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a novel construciionin a letter orbillle oraloose-leafledger, the object being to provide a device of this characterofsimple,durable, and efficientconstruction; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same looking into the device, all the leaves being removed. Figs. 3 and 4E are vertical crosssections on lines 3 3 and et 4, respectively, on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of one end ofthe device,havingthe book-covers removed. Fig. 6 is a detail view ot one ofthe pivots of said lle, being a section on line 6 6 ot' Fig. 4L.

My device consists of a book-back 1, com'- prising two members 2 and 3, each of which consists of a middle portion of an L-shaped cross-section a and 5 and two end portions 6, 7, S, and 9 ofsimilar cross-section,having their lateral edges turned over the lateral edges of said middle portions 2 and 3, adapting said end portions to slide telescopically upon said middle portions, thereby producing a back which is adjustable lengthwise, to the end that backs made up of stampings from one set of dies may be used to form backs of various lengths to it leaves of like lengths. Covers 10 are fastened to said back 1 by means of rivets 11, said rivets passing through said covers and through slots 12, provided in said middle and end portions of said members 2 and 3, thereby firmly binding said members Ll, G, and 8 and their cover rigidly togetherin their proper relations to each other and likewise said members 5, 7, and 9 and their cover to form a back of the desired length. Said telescopic connections between said middle and end members of said back are designed to be of use only to the manufacturer in making it convenient to produce backs of various lengths from one set of dies. The rear edges of said covers 1() are connected by a flexible back 13, thus giving the file the shape and appearance of a book. The rear walls 14C and 15 of said middle portions 4 and 5 are of different widths, thus causing the space between their adjacent edges to be nearer one side of the back than the other, to the end that the said back may be freely opened to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and also to form a suitable support for the compressor 16 on the rear wall 15 of said member 5. Said end portions G, 7, 8, and 9 are provided on their outer ends with inwardly-projecting parallel flanges 17, 18, 19, and 20, respec# tively, of a length somewhat greater than half of the thickness of said back 1, so that the inner ends of said parallel flanges overlap. Ears 21 are formed on the outer ends of the rear walls of said end portions 7and 9 and are turned inwardly at rightangles parallel with and adjacent said end llanges 18 and 20, respectively, and are riveted thereto, thus strengthening the whole device. Pivots 22 and 23 pass through said ears 21 and the overlapping ends of said flanges 17, 1S, 19, and 20, thus connecting said members 2 and 3 together in the manner of a hinge, so that the back 1 may be opened for the insertion and removal of leaves. Said pivot 22 is riveted fast in said flange 17 and turns with same when said back is opened, passing freely through said flange 18 and adjacent ear 21, and is provided with a collar 23 adjacent said ear 21 for the purpose of holding said flanges 17 and 1S closely together. Said pivot 22 is provided with an inwardly-projecting extension 2e, adapted to receive the spiral spring 25 around same, the free end ot' said spring being adapted to bear on the lower portion of the rear wall of said end member 7 and the other end being adapted to enter the small hole 2G in the end of said projecting portion 2-L, thereby adapting said spring to hold said members 2 and 3 in an opened position. A latch 27 is provided, pivoted to said flange 17 near its inner edge, the free end 2S of which is normally held pressing against the corre- IOO ` vided, projecting outwardly from the side of the outer end of said latch 27 for convenience in opening same. Said members 4 and 5 carry pins 33 between their ends, curved to form arcs of circles having their centers ink line with said pivotal joint between said members 2 and 3, said pins 33 being adapted to enter perforations in the leaves 34 to be held in said file to hold same against removal. In using a file of this kind it is usual to'iill the same gradually from day to day, and said compressor 16 is provided to hold the bills or leaves together in a block at one side of the file when the file is only partially filled. When the file is t'nll,said compressor may be readily removed. Said compressor 16 is a rectangular loop of wire passing around said pins 33 and having its ends bent at right angles to the side of said loop and parallel with each other and toward the center line of the pivotal connection between said members 2 and 3,said compressor being pivotally mounted in inwardly-projecting ears 35, formed inthe rear wall 15 of said portion 5 of said back 1, and

is provided adjacent the ends thereof with small flattened loops 36, adapted to act as eccentrics on said compressor and to bear on a flat spring 37, fastened to said rear wall 15 and whose free end extends between said ears 35, and be normally held thereby pressed against the leaves 34 in said file to hold same in a solid block. Said eccentric loops 36 also tend'to hold said compressor 16 in the dotted position shown in Fig. 3, when said back 1 is opened and said compressor turned sufficiently to cause said eccentric loops 36 to pass the dead-center. In forming said ears 35 on said back wall 15 recesses 38 are produced in the edge of said wall 15, adapted to allow the portion 39 of said compressor 16 to pass,when said compressor is turned back to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

I claim as my invention- 1. A letter or bill file comprising two members pivotallyconnected together,each of said members comprising a middle L-shaped portion, and similarly-shaped end portions telescopically movable on said middle portion, said end portions being provided with parallel flanges at their outer ends by means of which said members are pivotally connected together.

2. A letter or bill file comprising two members pivotally connected together,each of said members comprising a middle L-shaped portion, and similarly-shaped end portions telescopically movable on said middle portion,

said end portions being provided with parallel flanges at their outer ends by means of which said members are pivotally connected together, said middle portions each carrying curved pins extending parallel with said flanges and concentric with the pivotal connection between same.

3. A letter or bill file comprising two members pivotally connected together,each of said members comprising a middle L-shaped portion, and similarly-shaped end portions telescopically movable on said middle portion,

lsaid end portions being provided with parallel flanges at their outer ends by means of which said members are pivotally connected together, and one of said middle L-shaped portions carrying a compressor formed of a single piece of wire pivotally mounted in ears on said middle portion in alinement with said pivots, said compressor being provided with flattened, eccentric-like loops adjacent the ends thereof bearing on a flat spring fastened to said middle portion, which normally tends to hold said compressor against one side of said le.

t. A letter or bill file comprising two members pivotally connected together,each of said members comprising a middle L-shaped portion, and similarly-shaped end portions telescopically movable on said middle portion, said end portions being provided with parallel flanges at their outer ends by means of which said members are pivotally connected together, and a latch pivotallymounted on one of said iianges adapted to engage the other thereof to hold said members relatively in position to prevent the removal of leaves.

In testimony7 whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED KoRsMEiER.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, E. F. WILSON.

IOO 

